Packer for operating gas, water, and oil wells.



A. S. COOPER.

PAGKER FOR OPERATING GAS, WATER, AND OIL WELLS.

APPLICATION TILED JAN. 31, 1910.

1,000,583,, Patented Aug. 15, 1911.

' I I l x I] IIIIIIIIIII/IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIA wzltrglgllllllll llllllqllq iqzg lq" AUGUSTUS BTEIGER COOPER, 01 L08 OLIVOB, CALIFORNIA.

EACKER FOR OPERATING GAS, WATER, AND OIL WELLS.

Specification of {letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 15, 1911.

ap iiqati'on filed January e1, 1910. Serial No. 540,957.

- To all whom it ma/yeoncern:

' Be it known that I, AUoUs'rUs STEIGER Coornina citizen of the United States, residing at Los Olivos, in the county of Santa Barbara and State of California, have invented certain new and useful Imp rovements in Packers for O crating Gas, ater, and Oil Wells, of whio the following is a specification.

'My"i hvention relates to the operat on of gas, water and oil wells, and it cons1sts in the'noyel packer and its connections, which I shall hereinafter fully describe together with its objects and manner of use, all of which will be more fully understoodby reference to the accompanying drawings in which- Figure 1 is a sectional elevation, broken away in parts, showin my invention in place in a well. Fig. 2 is a detail, show ng a hole or opening in the flow-pipe, which hole communicates with the well above the packer. It also shows a pump let into the flow pipe. Fig. 3 is a detail showing the hole of Fig. 2, controlled by a check valve which may be understoodaccordin to its construction to permit the esca e at not the entrance to the flow-pine o liquids or gases, or the reverse of this fuiction.

l 'is'a well, and 1 is its casing.

2 isj'a string or line of pipes extending down into 'thefwell from its mouth or surface, and constitutes the flow pipe.

3 is the packer. It is a hollow dilatable and collapsible structure, and it may be made. of any suitable flexible material or combination of materials, such, for example, asa textile or Woven fabric or elastic rubber, or both. Its normal shape is hoselike, of greater or less diameter. The line of flow pi e 2 passes through the packer, the latter being secured at its ends to the pipe, one end, say the upper end at 4, being fixedly attached, and the other end, at 5, being slidably connected, as by being coupled to a sleeve 6 which is free to slide upon a housing tube 7 fixed on pipe 2. The reason for this connection is that the packer will the more readily expand or dilate to fill the cross-section of the well, if it be permitted to freely contract in a direction at right angles to its lines of expansion. The packer 3 may be of different designs and var ing dimensions, to suit the conditions of its use. I

8 is a pipe or line of pipes which extends -thc housing tube 7 as shown. .end of this discharge pipe may be littcd, it

from thesurface ormouth of the well and entors and opcnsinto the )acker. This pipe is used toexpand the pee er, which is done by pouring'wator into its upper end, after lln' packer is located at the desired point in the-well. The pressure in the packer can beregulatcd in several ways; for example by making holes 9 and 9 as high above the packer as may be desired; or the pressure may be increased-by carrying the pipe 8 higher than the surface or by any direct. pressure means. The amount of water poured into the i e 8 will indicate the size of the cavity fill d by packer.

10 is a r'o'd which at the upper end is connected with a ro )e 11, which is within reach at the mouth 0 the well. The rod 10 exteiids parallel with the flow pipe 2 and is guided by suitable collars thereon. It enters the upper end of the packer through a suitable packing gland 12, and carries a valve 13 which controls the'discharge pipe l 'l ot' the packer. The valve 13 normally (closes the pi e 14 by means of a spring 15 and thus c oses the packer and permits it to be expanded. By ulling on rope 11, the valve is lifted, permitting the water to escape from the nickel, thus providing for the col-' lapse of tlic packer, and its movement in or removal from the well. The amount of movement of the valve rod 10 is regulated by a sleeve 16 on the rod which plays hotween the guide collars 17 of pipe The discharge )ipe 14 from the packer passes out throng 1 its lower end and down through The lower necessary, with a check valve '18 which permits the water to escape from the packer but prevents the entrance thereto of gas, oil, or water from the well.

' 1 9 is a rod which at its upper end is connected with a rope 20 within reach at the mouth of the well. This rod passes down beside the flow pipe 2 in the guide collars 17, enters the packer through a packing gland 21, passes through the packer and emerges therefrom and through the housing tube 7 through a packing gland 22, and thence extends down to and operates a sleeve 23 constituting an inlet valve which controls the entrance 24 to the pipe 2, just above its end cap 25. The valve 23 is operated by pulling on the rope 20 and is shut by a spring 26 on the rod ll) above. The amount of movement is regulated by a sleeve 27 on the rod 19, which sleeve playsbet-ween the guide collars 17lof pipe 2.

28 indicates water above the packer.

29 indicates gas below the packer and 30 is the oil below the packer.

In the detail Fig. 2 I show a hole 31 1n the pipe 2, in the water zone, which hole permits the entrance and escape of llquids and gases from the pipe.

In the detail Fig. 3 I show the hole 31 provided with a check-valve 32 which permits the escape from, but not the entrance to the pipe 2 of liquids or gases, or it may be so constructed as to perform the opposite function, namely to permit the entrance to, but not the escape from the pipe 2 of liquids or gases.

In the detail Fig. 2 I also indicate a pump 34 let into the fiow pipe 2 between two lengths thereof. The liner 35 of this pump carries the aw'alves, and comes away with them when the sucker rods 36 are drawn.

The device is placed and is moved and removed as follows :The packer with its immediate connections are lowered in the well to the selected place by the rod 10, and as they are being lowered, the pipe sections forming the line or string of flow pipe 2 and the packer filling pipe 8 are screwed together. When the packer is at the required place, the string of flow pipes 2 is made to support the packer and its connections, and the strain on the rod 10 is relaxed, so that the spring 15 closes the valve 13 which thus seals the packer. Water is then poured into the string of pipes 8, until it causes the packer to expand and fit the casing or the walls of the well, thus practically separating the liquids and gases above the packer from those below it. Upon opening the valve 13, by pulling on rope 11, the packer collapses by the escape of the water therefrom and the packer can then be moved in the well or it may entirely be removed.

I will now describe the uses of the device.

There is, what I may term, continual warfare between natural gas and the liquids (oil and water) for the possession of a well. As there is relatively but a small amount of gas, and an unlimited quantity of water with a small amount of oil floating on its surface, and as the hydrostaticpressure of the water and oil does not change, while the pressure and quantity of gas is constantly decreasing, the water and oil, in the end, will be victorious. Theywill stifle or drown out the gas and no more can be had, and the well, if then operated for oil will be ultimately exhausted, leaving the water in possession. Wells like the above have been relieved for a time by dropping a small pipe to the bottom of the well; and the pressure of the gas while not strong enough, or in sufliclent quantity to raise the column of water in a two or three inch ipe, will raise it through a three-quarters of an inch pipe, by allowing the small pipe to remain open at intervals governed by the amount of water and gas present and the pressure of the gas. The well will then continue to discharge until the amount of, and pressure of the gas decreases, until it is insuflicient to operate even the three-quarters of an inch pipe.

It is a well known fact that where surface water, that is, water overlying porous or seamed strata containing oil or gas, has a greater hydrostatic pressure than the hydrostatic pressure exerted on the oil or gas in a well, the oil or'gas will be driven away from the bottom of the well. Under these conditions if the packer 3 is successfully located and fixed to the walls of the well below the casing, as is shown by the accompanying drawings, the surface water 28 above the packer will be practically sep arated and excluded from the gas, oil and water below the packer; then, if the'inlet valve 23 is opened, the gas, oil or water will rush into the empty pipe 2, and by this action relieve the pressure below the packer. If enough gas is present and is under sufficient pressure it.will come out of solution from the liquids and force part of the oil or water up the pipe 2 to the surface. This action could not take place if the gas were held in solution with the liquids by a tall column of surface water or a tall column of water in the pipe 2. The size of the pipe 2 can be changed so as to accommodate it to the flow of liquid and gas. When the gas is again stifled by the water or oil, the valve 23 can be closed, and the pipe 2 bailed out and after an interval, governed by the known action of the gas and liquids in the well, the valve 23 can be again opened and the operation will be repeated. In this op eration there are no sucker rods nor pump in the pipe 2, such as is shown in Fig. 2. If, after the packer is placed in the position as shown in the drawing and the valve 23 is opened, and there is not sufficient gas to force liquid through the pipe 2, the liquid can be removed from below the packer by the pump 34: shown in Fig. 2, or by bailing the pipe 2. By this method of procedure a well can be tested for the presence of oil or gas, by pumping, which could not be done if a flood of surface water were entering the well which the pump or bailer was incapable of removing.

The packer can be kept in the well while it is being operated for gas or oil.

Sometimes a string of well casing contains flaws, or is split, or a hole is worn through the casing by the rubbing of the drilling tools or rope, causing the casing to leak. If the lower end of. the string of casing is closed by my packer, and a hole 31, such as I show in Fig. 2, be provided in pipe 2, and left open, and the water is mmped from the casing above the packer by the pump 34, or hailed from the pipe. 2, then it' the water'in the casing is not lowered by this pumping or bailing operation the casing is defective. l/Vhere the casing leaks can be located by moving the packer to dillerent part of the casing.

The packer 3 can be employed to search for a place in the well where the surface water can be pernmnently shut olt by cementing or otherwise. This .is done by trying the packer in different parts of the well.

.If the packer 3 is located partly in the bottom of the easing and partly below the casing, and if the conditions are favorable the surface water can be shut off from the interior of the casing and the bottom of the well. The casing can then be freed from liquids through the hole 31 by the pump 34, or by bailing. The sucker rods 36 and the liner 35 of the pump are then drawn from the pipe 2. By doing this when the valve 23 is opened a large amount of gas would come out of solution from the liquids below the packer before the liquids had formed a column of water or oil in the casing and pipe 2 of a height sufficient to exert a pressure to stifle the flow of gas.

The casing 1 and pipe 2 can be emptied of liquids by pumping direct from the casing. If this is done the hole 31 is fitted with a check valve 32 as in Fig. 3, which permits the eseape of and not the entrance of liquids to the pipe 2.

llaving thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent isl. A device for operating gas, water and oil wells. consisting of a dilatable and collapsible packer; means operatable from the mouth of the well to effect the expansion of said packer to cause it to close the cross sec tional area of the well; means operatable from the mouth of the well to effect the collapse'ol the packer, including a spring held valve acting automatically to close an outlet/opening in the packer and an operating member extending to the mouth of the well: a flow pipe extending from the mouth of the well, through the packer and into the well below the packer; and means operatable from the mouth of the well to open and close the lower end-of the flow pipe.

2. A device for operating gas, water and oil wells, consisting of a dilatable and collapsible packer; a pipe leading from the mouth oF the well into said packer, through which pipe a fluid may be passed, to expand the paeker and cause it to close the cross sectional area of the well; a relief pipe projecting into the paeker and having openings at its opposite ends; a valve for the opening of said pipe within the packer, and connections operatable from the mouth of the well to control the valve of the reliefpipe and effect the collapse of the packer; a check valve for the opening at the lower end of the relief pipe; a flow pipe extending from the mouth of the well, through the packer and into the well below the packer; and means operatable from the mouth of the well to open and close the lower end of the flow pipe.

3. A device for operatin gas, water and oil wells, consisting of a ilatable and collapsible packer; a pipe leading from the mouth of the well into said packer, through which pipe a fluid may be passed, to expand the packer and cause it to close the cross sectional area of the well; a relief pipe from said packer, a valve and connections operatable from the mouth of the well to control the relief pipe and etl'ect the collapse of the packer; a flow pipe extending from the mouth of the well, through the packer and into the well below the packer; and means operatahle from the mouth of the well to open and close the lower end of the flow pipe consisting of a cup-shaped valve sleeved upon the end of the flow pipe, and suitable connections therefrom passing through the packer to the mouth of the well.

4. A device for operating gas, water and oil wells, consisting of a flow pipe; a hollow flexible dilatable and collapsible packer secured to and around said pipe ata point between its ends; the packer having a fixed connection at one of its ends and a slidable connection at its opposite end with the flow pipe; a pipe leading from the month of the well into said packer, for introducing a fluid thereto to ett'ect its expansion to cause it to close the cross-sectional area of the well; a relief pipe leading from said packer; a valve in the packer to control the relief pipe and effect the collapse of the packer; operating connections from said valve passing from the packer to mouth of the well; a valve to open and close. the lower end of the flow pipe, and operating connections from the valve passing through the packer to the mouth of the well.

5. A device for operating gas, water and oil wells, consisting of a dilatahle and collapsible ackcr; means operatable from the mouth 0 the well to ett'ect the expansion of said packer to cause it to close the crossseetional area of the well; means operatable from the mouth of the well to elleet the eollapse of the packer; a flow ipe extending from the mouth of the well through the packer and into the well below the packer, said flow pipe having an opening made through its wall, communicating with the well above the packer; and means operatable from the mouth of the well to open and close the lower end of the flow pipe.

6. A device for operating gas, water and oil wells, consisting of a dilatable and collapsible fpacker; means operatable from the mouth- 0 the well to-eflect the expansion of said packer to cause it to close the crosssectional area of the well; means operatable from the mouth of the well to effect the collapse of the packer; a flow pipe extending from the mouth of the well, through the packer and into thewell below the packer, said flow pipe having an opening made through its wall, communicating with the well above the packer; a check valve to control said opening; and means operatable from themouth of the well to open and close to distend the same.

8. In a device foroperating gas, water and oil wells, the combination with a flow pipe extending from the mouth of the well, a hollow flexible packer secured around said pipe, said packer having a fixed connection at one end with the flo w pipe and a collar at the opposite .end of the packer slidably engaging over the flow pipe, and means accessible from the top of the well for controlling the admission of fluid to the. packer and its discharge therefrom.

9. In a device for operating gas, water and oil wells, the combination with a flow extending from the mouth of the well,

P l a ollow flexible dilatable and collapsible packer secured to the said pipe, one of its ends being fixed and the other having a coupling member adapted to have sliding enagement with the pipe to enable it to yield in a direction at rlght angles to the lines of its expansion, and means accessible from the top of the well for controlling the admission of fluid to said packer, and its discharge therefrom.

10. In a device for operating gas, water, and oil wells, the combination of a casing, a flow pipe within the casing, a hollow flexible packer mounted upon the flow pipe the same having a fixed connection at one end and a movable connection at'its opposite end with the flow pipe, an inlet condult leading into the upper end of the packer and opening theremto, an outlet conduit leading from the packer, a valve for the outlet conduit an operating rod for the valve, a guide I or said rod intermediate its ends, and a sto associated with said guide for limiting t e movement for said valve.

11. In a device for operating gas, water,

1,000,:sea

and oil Wells, the combination of a casing,

a flow pipe within the casing, a hollow flexible packer mounted upon the flow pipe the same having a fixed connection at one end and a movable connection at its opposite end with the flow pipe, an inlet conduit leadmg into the upper end of the acker and openin r thereinto, an outlet eon uit leading from t e packer, a valve for the outlet condult, an operating rod for the valve, a uide for said rodintermediate its ends, sai flow pipe having an opening in its wall above the packer and within the casing.

12. In'a device for operating gas, water and oil wells, the combination of a casing, a flow pipe within the casing, a hollow flexible packer mounted upon the flow'pipe the same having a fixedconnection at one end and a movable connection at its opposite end with the flow pipe, an inlet conduit leading into the upper end of the packer and opening therelnto, an outlet conduit leading from the" packer, a valve for the outlet conduit, an operating rod for the valve, a guide for said rod intermediate its ends, said flow pipe having an opening in its wall above the packer and within the and oil wells, the combination with a flow pipe extending from the mouth of the well, a hollow flexible packer secured around said pipe, means for introducing fluid into said packer to distend the same, the packer hav- 1n du it operable from the mouth of the well, and a check valve also associated with said conduit.

14. In a device for operating gas, water and oil wells, consisting of a dilatable and collapsible packer; means operable from the mouth of the well to eflect the expansion of said packer to cause it to close the cross sectional area of the well; means o| )o1'al)lc from the mouth of the well to ellect the collapse of the packer; a flow pipe extending from the mouth of the well, through the packer and into the well below the packer; said flow pipe having an opening made through its wall at a point above the packer and communicating with the well; and means operable from the mouth of the well to open and close the lower end of the [low 1pc. I p Intestimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribmgwitnesses.

AUGUSTUS STEIGER dooraa.

an outlet conduit a valve for said con-. 

